In Osun State, South West Nigeria, where the airwaves pulse with a community’s heartbeat, Samson Olufemi Olanipekun popularly known on air as ‘Femi Olanipekun’ has forged a legacy as a transformative force in Nigerian journalism.

As Head of Station at Rave 91.7 FM and host of the critically acclaimed Frank Talk, he has spent almost a decade amplifying voices, challenging power, and mentoring broadcasters.

But it was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that his leadership turned Rave FM into a lifeline, guiding Nigeria through crisis with ingenuity and resolve.

Olanipekun’s journey began in rural Nigeria, where his passion for news earned him the nickname “radio boy.” With a transistor radio always in hand, he devoured broadcasts from the BBC and Voice of America.

After secondary school, while awaiting university admission, he’d trek long distances to the town center, poring over newspapers and debating national politics and policies with others in what locals jokingly—or derisively—called the “free readers association.”

That hunger propelled him to the University of Ibadan, where he studied Teacher Education and English Language, launching his department’s first newsletter. His true calling, though, emerged in broadcast journalism. Starting as an intern at Radio Nigeria, he climbed the ranks, mastering sports, news, and production. In 2015, Rave 91.7 FM, Osun’s first urban, digitally equipped station, tapped him to lead its News and Current Affairs unit.

Within 16 months, he was Head of Station, steering Rave to four consecutive “Radio Station of the Year” awards at the Osun Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Awards from 2017 to 2020. His flagship Frank Talk racked up well over 1,000 episodes within five years, grilling presidential spokesmen, political leaders, governors, and activists on governance, transparency, and human rights.

When COVID-19 struck in 2020, locking down Nigeria and spreading fear, Olanipekun’s leadership took on new weight and Rave 91.7 FM under his stewardship emerged as a critical voice. “We couldn’t just report the news—we had to bridge the gap between people and the chaos,” he says.

Rave FM ramped up sensitization efforts, delivering virus updates, debunking myths, and offering practical advice. Frank Talk pivoted to special episodes, hosting experts in public health, epidemiology, virology, mental health, economics, security, and diplomacy to dissect the pandemic’s impact and ripple effect. “We brought in every voice we could to help people navigate it,” he explains. A segment tracking World Health Organization and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control data kept listeners grounded. “Fear grows in silence,” he adds. “We had to keep the truth loud and clear.”

But Olanipekun went further. With schools closed, final-year secondary students faced a derailed academic year; their Senior Secondary School Certificate exams were at risk. In Nigeria, where poor internet access and crumbling infrastructure make virtual classes a pipe dream—unlike in the Western world—options were slim.

Endemic poverty and erratic electricity ruled out television’s visual edge; most households couldn’t rely on power to tune in. Radio, and in this case Rave 91..7 FM, with its mass reach and universal access, became the saving grace. People turned to battery-powered transistor radios or car stereos when the grid failed. Under Olanipekun’s vision, Rave 91.7 FM launched Class on Air, bringing WAEC-certified tutors to teach English Language and Mathematics live for an hour daily, with students calling in questions.

“The lockdown didn’t just threaten lives—it threatened futures,” Olanipekun says. “Internet and TV weren’t viable here. Radio was our only shot, and we took it.” The program’s reach—unhindered by power cuts or data costs—proved lifesaving. Parents and educators praised its ingenuity. Folakemi Alo, an Osogbo mother said, “My daughter passed her WAEC because of Rave FM’s Class on Air. Rave FM stepped in when everything else failed, and the government appeared unsure about what to do.”

Olanipekun’s impact rippled inward to meet the crisis head-on. “A station is only as strong as its people,” he says. Workshops under his guidance sharpened the team’s edge, ensuring Rave FM’s youth-oriented broadcast thrived under pressure. By November 2020, that cohesion earned another NUJ award. “I tell my colleagues: we’re not just voices—we’re builders of a better Nigeria,” he notes. His own honors—Best Newscaster in 2018 and a U.S. Department of State International Visitors Leadership Program slot that same year—reflect his stature, though he shrugs off acclaim. “The real win is when a listener says they acted because of us or our programmes and reports affected them positively.”

For Olanipekun, journalism is a mission. “Broadcasting isn’t just about filling airtime—it’s about empowering people to demand better, to hold power accountable, to imagine a fairer society,” he says. During the pandemic, Rave 91.7 FM embodied that, its signal cutting through Nigeria’s challenges—poor infrastructure, poverty, and all—to deliver hope. As he leads and mentors, Olanipekun’s voice remains a lifeline, proving radio’s enduring power in a rapidly changing world.